My frist Texas Christmas

Dear Family and Friends,

What a crazy and emotional week I have had! I just wanted to start off my email by saying, ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! Melissa! I am so glad you are apart of my life! And I hope you have a great day and week!

 It seems like just yesterday I was talking to y'all through FaceTime, but it has already been 3 days and time is still just flying by! I hope that all of you had a great Christmas, because Elder 'Otuafi and I had the best Christmas as missionaries! So many blessings we received through this week! And one was to be able to see and talk with my family! Here is how my week went!

Week December 21-27 2015

Monday:

Wow today was such a stressful day for me! I feel like Pdays are either the most relaxing or the most stressful depending on what is happening that day! So today we started off the day by making Christmas Cards at Walgreens and then heading to the Library to email! After a little while of emailing we had to go to a doctors appointment for Elder 'Otuafis hand and may I just say we received one of the most helpful gifts of the season!! He was told we can bike again!!!! I never thought I would be so excited to get on my bike and pedal to my hearts content, but after a few weeks of walking I can definitely say I love my bike! 

So after the doctors appointment we went to shop for food and then went to the church for the last 2 hours to exercise and move around! It was so much fun! Also as we came home we found packages from my parents at our door and one was to elder 'Otuafi. His expression changed so fast! He was like begging to stay long enough to open his box but we had to get going!!! 

We went out caroling tonight with the English district and as we got to one house of a less active returning active man he walked out while we were coming up. So one of the Elder said, " can we ask a big favor of you?" The guy said sure and the elder said, "will you go back inside and pretend to act surprised when we knock on your door!?" So that is what he did and as we began singing he started crying and singing along! It was the best experience for me, because I knew he was feeling the spirit!! It was just really fun to spend so,e time singing Christmas songs and feeling the Christmas spirit more focused on the people who matter most!

So as we got home Elder 'O opened his box and was just so excited! He was asking what he had to do to be adopted to the family and it really just made me happy to see him say, "I know my family is just busy, but I am just glad I got a package!"

So we also received a card from some of my family with a sweet message and money for each of us and my companion was just emotional trying to understand why my family is so supportive. I can not wait to be able to get home and thank everyone who has supported me and my companions, because the simple support shows more than just packages or money, but the love of a missionary and his family!

It has been a day full of the true meaning of Christmas! And our tree is loaded!!

Tuesday:

Today was district meeting Tuesday!! It was a really good way to start off the day by studying and then going to district meeting! I love being able to go and just learn from one another as representatives of God on how we can better our teachers, services and even our simple talking with members. Today I had a few of my major questions answered and even received some really cool insight in helping members connect better with investigators! There was 2 quotes that I loved from the meeting today that said, "Work like everything depends on us, but pray like everything depends on God." I really like this quote, because it shows that we have to put forth not only the work, but also the prayers to have our questions answered in life! And the other on I have shared before, it is "The study of Doctrine will change someone faster than the study of Behavior will change someone!" I feel this quote hits one of the biggest parts of being a missionary. We are always thinking, "how can we help them to change or understand?" But are we ever thinking in what doctrine they don't understand!? Or what about our kids? Do we teach them the doctrine behind why they aren't supposed to do certain things, or are we letting them learn by their behaviors. I am glad I learned this, because I see how I can use it for the rest of my life!  

So after our meeting we exchanged some gifts and I bought a gift for one of the sisters in the district and elder O bought for the other sister, because we can hug the elders, but can't hug them a Merry Christmas, so that was our reasoning, but for me I just felt that they were like my sisters, and I can't give a lot to my real ones, so I bought something for them! And the awesome thing was they got things for us too! 

So we had the opportunity to clean our area book again today, and it turned out to be very successful! We found a lot of names to go by and check! We are hoping and praying we can find more people in this time as we pass by old investigators! 

This evening we had the opportunity to go with the sister from district and from another district to sing carols to random people and we actually sang to a family that is investigating the church in my area, and they are going to come to a dinner Thursday night with us and I am so excited!! It is amazing how Christ,as is so close and all I can think about are the investigators and their chance of being closer to God! What a great day it truly was!!

Wednesday:

So today was a kind of emotional day for me!

So to start off the day we studied and had some really good studies to help us for a lesson today. Then after studying we got picked up by the other elders in their car and went to a service at the special needs school! We were having a great time and everything and as I was putting a puzzle together with an older man who told me he was only 15, I saw my companion walk outside with elder Saaga to talk for a while. So after a while we went to check on them and as I walked out there elder Saaga looked at me and asked why we came out. I told him I just wanted to check on my computer, because I really should stay with him and he blew up in my face! He yelled at me and started saying some really mean things and then began swearing at me. I was really close to bursting and just throwing punches and that is not me, but that is how mad he made me, because a representative of the Lord should never do that! I walked outside and just started walking home, because I figured staying would make it worse and a blessing was a member from the English ward saw us and picked us up to take us home. I was just so confused and upset that I couldn't even think straight. So I tried to finish studying and take a quick nap to stop thinking about it and it did help. So after a while elder Saaga called and asked us if we would help with a service project, so we went to help the investigators and while we're there he came and apologized in a pretty cheesy way, but at least he tried a little bit! We are cool now, and I am just glad I handled it the way I did! 

So tonight we went to an investigators house named Manuel Guillen. We taught him and his mom about the Book of Mormon and he told us, "Elders, I have taken on quitting smoking and drinking, can you help me!?" It was perfect! We helped him understand how the Book of Mormon can help him, and we made a great plan with him! The lesson was great and next week we will set a Baptismal Date!

We kept receiving texts from a me,ver who was worried about one of our investigators, and it felt good knowing that they were thinking about an investigator and wanted to help him this Christmas season. I love the members in this ward!!

So we also went Christmas Caroling tonight and it really helped me find the true meaning of Christmas that I began to get teary eyed thinking of how hard it will be without my family, but how amazing it really will be as well! Today was an amazing day! 

Thursday:

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

Today was such a fun day! So we had the amazing opportunity to go to the other missionaries house and spend some time with their members! As we were their they told us we were going to eat some Texas Squirrel for Christmas tomorrow! It was way fun to be able to gut the whole squirrel and everything! Christmas in Texas really is way different! Then we were able to have our weekly planning and just think about how fast time is flying! We only have one more weekly planning together and it is a really crazy thought! So we also had an amazing opportunity to go to the church and have an amazing Christmas Eve dinner with the Stasser Family! It was such a fun time and the food was amazing! And afterwards we put on a play and everyone dressed up and we acted out the nativity and sang songs. It was a way fun tradition! So as I was sitting there in the nativity I was just thinking, "this is the true meaning of Christmas right here. Just being able to be with family and spend good old time." I know for me it is hard not being together with my family, but to have this family take all of the 8 missionaries in and treat them like family is the best give they could have given to anyone! So after our fun dinner we went home and decided we would have our Christmas present opening tonight because we won't be at home all morning tomorrow! So we started with the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus Christ and then we went from there and we talked about the most important things of Christmas and sang Away in a Manger before we began opening gifts! Then as we were opening all of our amazing gifts we received a knock at the window and as we looked out no one was there, so we went to the door and found a bag full of Presents for Elder Otuafi! He was so shocked and so excited! Also as he was listening to the music that my parents sent he began to cry as he heard the music in Tongan! He told me, "your parents are to nice. I know they had to work hard to find Tongan music. I haven't been able to find any anywhere! What an amazing day with a true meaning of Christmas! 

I thank my Heavenly Father tonight for the mighty miracle that he brought to this world through the help of a strong and courageous daughter of his, Marry, and a loving and brave husband, Joseph. I thank Heavenly Father for my parents who bless me not only with amazing gifts at this time of year, but with the life I have, and the way I live it. My parents changed the life of my companion tonight and my family is something I can never thank god for enough! As you all go about the Christmas year always remember that receiving is good, but it is the giving time of year. As you give a gift you finally can see how the life of a person truly changes. Do not look at the gifts as having to be pricy, but something simple and meaningful to someone who is without. I love my family so much and am so grateful that through the birth and life of Jesus Christ I can live with them forever!

The true meaning of Christmas begins with Christ!

Friday:

Merry Christmas!!!!

Wow today was the most fun, but weirdest day of my whole mission! 

So to start off the day we woke up at 5:30 am to get ready and go to the Denton Highschool to play ultimate frisbee as a zone on their super nice turf field! It was lots of fun and many it was a good way to start off a Christmas Day. After that we got dropped off long enough to shower and change and go straight to the church to be separated into our groups for going to different retirement homes to carol and play games. We went and Caroled for quite some time and even got to play some games with the people too! I had the opportunity to meet a sweet old lady who wasn't much of a talker, but if you asked her the right question and you helped her get the right answer she would get such a big smile on her face that made me so happy! As we were playing she built up enough energy to ask me to get a blanket for her, and man was I so willing! We stayed until 12:00 and it was so worth every second! As we went into one ladies room to carol the lady saw elder O and said, "wow are you from Hollywood? You are super handsome!" And on the way out she said, " all of you can leave, but elder O, you can stay here!" It was super cute and funny! So for most of the rest of the day we spent our time at the home of the Valentines! Sounds like bums, but we had the great opportunity to really cook the meal for them! We had some amazing hamburger helper style food with squirrel meat that I cooked with the help of Momma V! She taught me how and the meat was so tender and perfect! So before dinner I had the amazing opportunity to talk to my family on FaceTime! So I tried for like 10 minutes to call them on my iPad, but they wouldn't answer, so I called my dads phone and he answered, and my heart just started pounding as I heard my dads voice! I was so emotional with every kind of emotion! So we got it figured out and wow how fun it was to see my family and see how well they are doing! For me as a missionary I feel that it helps me to work harder knowing that my family is doing so good! It was nice being able to have the family jokes and just be complete and 100 percent myself! It really was a blessing! However, hanging up the phone for me was by far the hardest thing I did! After I hung up I just broke down crying. Not because I was sad, but because I was so happy I got to see them! I was so happy and 1 hour just went by so fast! However, right after the phone call I walked in and started talking to everyone and I was alight! I know how hard it is to focus again, but what a motivation that is for me to make my mission the best, so every time I talk to my family I can tell them how much I have been able to help others and learn new things!  I love my family and today I think family was really put into perspective for me! The more I think about it the more I realize how the family truly is ordained of God and without them I know exactly where I would be, and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday that I have them to make my life full of love and energy! So we had an amazing dinner and just had some good old laughs with the Valentines and then headed home for the Night! For a Mission Christmas I can testify that it was centered on a true meaning. It was centered on Christ and Family and I couldn't had put it any other way. I want to meld with something that caught my attention tonight. As we were sitting around the dinner table tonight a missionary that only has a transfer left looked at me and said, your next Christmas is going to suck without people like this where you eat in your apartment alone. I thought for just a second and i looked at him and said, "one man determines his one future, and I plan on having the best Christmas, because I am going to make it that way!" I love that thought, one man determines his own future, so how do you plan yours? I testify with all of my heart that this church is true and that families are eternal! anyone would be crazy leaving their family for two years to serve a mission for a church, unless they know it to be true with all their heart, and I feel that is where I am right now! I hope that everyone was able to have as good a Christmas as me!!

Saturday:

To start off the day it was a little bit hard to get going after the phone call with my family yesterday, but as I started studying and getting going everything went just perfect! We had our missionary coordination meeting and found out a lot of new things to help us progress in the work of the Lord. As we got working we printed out papers to help people to see who we are and what we believe and if they have interest they can call us. We put them all over one side of town and we hope that we can get a few calls from those papers! We also had a great dinner with the Pumphrey family tonight who are an English Family! They had a Christmas gift for us which was a star wars water bottle with candy! They were really sweet and we taught them a great lesson on Gratitude, which is something I could definitely work on! So this evening we went out on exchange with an English only brother named Don Hewit! He actually was a lot of fun and he had lots of ideas on getting into houses! He was not afraid of talking to the Hispanics even though he can't and he really helped me to see that yes we didn't get in to teach a lesson to anyone, but we talked to more than 3 people and could have planted a seed to help them in their life sooner or later, however the lord has it planned!  He was very positive, and as I think about it he was just being grateful!

Sunday:

Wow today was a really good Sunday for me! So today we started off the day by waking up early for our ward council meeting at 630 we woke up and got ready right away to leave for the church! We had a great meeting and then started church. As I was sitting on the back row a man walked in and sat by me. I started talking to him and found out that he is a member of the church, but is very inactive. He had lots of reasons, but he said, "it is time to focus on my religion!" So it was fun to get to know him and hear how he lived! We had great meetings today where I learned a lot more about the millennium and when it will happen and everything. So after church we had the fun time to have our studies and man did I have lots of stuff to study that were really interesting. After some great studies we went to a dinner with a sister in our ward named Brenda Portillo. She cooked chicken tacos that were to die for and she was just very sweet! Her little granddaughter thought we were best friends and had to be practically sitting by my side the whole time I was there! We had a great time visiting her and teaching her. We got picked up from there by Hno. Arias, a member of the Bishopric, who took us out to teach people tonight, and as we were contacting people he gave me some great advice on words that would be recognized better and everything! So I really appreciate his desire to go and to uplift us! We also taught a member who is more of church goer, but not strong everyday member and we had a great time teaching him about the importance of reading the scriptures everyday! At the end of our exchange Hno. Arias told us about his time serving in his mission in Mexico City north and he gave us one word of advice that I admired a lot! He said, "be their friends first, and they will listen. If one lesson is focused on just their lives that is alright! Just be their friends." It really hit me that I need to be a friend to everyone before I throw stuff at their face! As he was dropping us off he asked if he could have my dads phone number to call him and talk to him and also to ask about the best things to do in Zion national park! I hope that I can learn more from him and that he can get ahold of my parents to visit with them! What a great day of true success! 

I hope you all have an amazing day and know how much I love you all! You always support me and it means so much!!! Please read and study the scriptures, because they will teach you what you need to know by the spirit of the lord and as always pray to know how you can hePlease others! 

Con Amor,

Elder Spendlove